


To Heorot, Bright with Gold

by snowpuppies



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: AU, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-23
Updated: 2011-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-18 13:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/189159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowpuppies/pseuds/snowpuppies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two souls come together for the love of a girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Heorot, Bright with Gold

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: for tamingthemuse, #223 - Beowulf.
> 
> Beta'd by velvetwhip. Mistakes, however, are always mine. :)

**To Heorot, Bright with Gold**

  
"So…"

She turns at his voice, eyes wide and shoulders hunched.

"Um…T-Tara," she stutters out, hand extended.

"Xander," he replies, giving her a firm shake. "It's nice to meet you, finally."

"Yeah." She blushes. "I've heard so much about you."

"Ah. Well, you know Willow, always a kidder. And that story about the goat? Totally not true."

"Goat?" She blinks for a moment before the joke hits and she smiles, ducking her head in embarrassment.

Well, he can tell what Willow sees in her.

"So, gotta say, never expected to give the best friend speech to another girl."

"Oh." She stiffens, leaning away ever-so-slightly. "That's n-not a problem, i-is it?"

"Only in my dreams," he quips, eager to see the smile return.

He gets a blush; he counts it as a win.

"Seriously, though…She's…happier than she's been in a while, and that's, well, that's all because of you."

"Me, too."

He watches as her gaze drifts away. The look on her face as she spots Willow is nearly enough to put his worries at ease.

"You're not gonna, you know, change your mind about…" he falters, unsure how to manage _boinking another woman_ in polite company.

"About…?"

"The…uh…gay…thing."

"Oh! No. Pretty much all g-gay. N-not going back."

"Good to know. Because sad Willow? Happens to be number one on my 'things I never want to see again' list."

"I think I can live with that." She flushes, eyes meeting his gaze for a moment before sliding back to Willow.

He reaches out and gives her shoulder a squeeze.

"It was nice to meet you, Tara."

"You too, Xander."

She gives a half-curtsy and turns, immediately crossing the space to stand next to Willow.

He thinks he likes her.

  
***

  
"So, we need brownies, lots of brownies." She makes a note, scrawling 'brownies' at the bottom of the list.

"And cake—strawberry, with th-that fluffy icing."

"Did you tell Buffy and Giles what to bring?" He leans around her shoulder, eyes roving over the list as he plucks a cookie from the plate on the table.

"Hey." She slaps at his hand. "Those are for the party."

He shrugs. "I'm a growing boy. Plus, in the second grade, I was voted official taste-tester of the 'We Hate Cordelia Club'."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Alright. Just the one."

Seemingly satisfied, she turns back to her notepad.

"So, where were we?"

"Buffy and Giles."

"Okay. Buffy's on soda and Giles is bringing chips and dip."

"Check. And Buffy's mom is providing the digs, so…"

"All set. I just hope the pendant gets here on time."

"She's gonna love it."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"I just…I want it to be special."

"It's from _you_. She's gonna melt into a pile of Willowy goo."

"I like Willowy goo." She smirks.

He pauses, images flitting through his mind—none of which are appropriate for public consumption—before shaking his head to dislodge the naughty thoughts.

"I…think I'd like to see that."

She elbows him in the ribs and snatches the remainder of the cookie from his fingertips.

"Perv," she accuses, before stuffing it into her mouth.

  
***

  
He finds her at Joyce's grave.

Seems fitting—she was 'Mom' to all of them in some way or another and, after that spell and the confusion and anger and betrayal all swirling around inside…well, he figures she'll take the comfort where she can.

He watches as she stares sadly ahead, breeze ruffling her hair.

"Hey," he calls as he approaches.

She doesn't move; somehow, he's sure she knew he was there the whole time.

He sinks to the ground, back propped on the edge of the stone.

Minutes pass in silence.

Finally, she turns to look him in the eye, her own soft "Hey" floating through the quiet of dusk.

He shuffles closer, until he can feel her warmth against his side.

"She's not getting better." It seems stupid to state the obvious, but he thinks he needs to say out loud what he's thought time and time again, loyalty and hope the only things which had kept it from spilling out of his mouth.

"No."

"Are you sure leaving is…?" He trails off, uncertain how to finish. _Right?_ _Necessary?_ _Helpful?_ None seem to fit, so he waits, hoping she'll understand.

One small, warm hand reaches out to him, slim fingers grasping his own and clutching tightly.

"Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let someone live with their mistakes."

He closes his eyes against the words, knowing they're right but at the same time hating each and every one.

"Ye—ah," he forces out, his voice cracking in the middle.

"I just…," she pauses to lean into his body, her head falling to rest on his shoulder. "I just can't do that to myself again. I—I've spent so much time being told I didn't have choices in life, and for her to just take them away again, after everything we've shared…" Her breath hitches; he takes her hand with his left and shifts a bit until his right arm is around her shoulder. She nuzzles into the embrace. "I just can't do it, Xander."

He sighs heavily, eyes searching the skies for something… _an answer? help?_ , and replies, "I know."

"This doesn't mean we're giving up."

"I know."

"I just need some time to…I just need some time."

"Alright," he answers, leaning over to rest his cheek against the top of her head.

Silence fills the night once more.

  
***

  
She's beaming as Willow pulls her down the stairs.

Willow's grin is just as huge as she grabs him in a quick hug and wanders off into the kitchen.

Tara shrugs apologetically at Willow's single-minded focus on the refrigerator.

He smiles wryly; it's not as if he doesn't know how make-up sex gives you the munchies.

"So...," he begins, eyes raking over her form, taking in the mussed hair, the relaxed posture, the contentment in her eyes, "you came back."

"Yeah." Her smile falls for a moment before she takes a step closer and her voice falls into a near-whisper. "I just couldn't…just couldn't be away any more. I can't explain, but it just felt like…the right time."

"She's been working really hard."

"Yeah. I know." She beams again, eyes flickering toward the kitchen almost involuntarily.

He stifles a laugh. "Go on. I know when I'm not wanted."

She bounces a little, slipping forward to press a kiss against his cheek before sliding past him to find her girl.

He presses the spot her lips touched with his fingers…and smiles.

  
***

  
He's not sure if he's got any adrenaline left when Willow heads for the bluff. He wants to fall to the cement beneath his feet and sleep for a week, but he keeps going, has to keep going.

As his shoes slap against the pavement, he feels a surge pour through his bones, warm and sparkling with life, flowing from the top of his head to his fingertips, his toes…

He speeds up, his determination greater, his desperation heavier, and his love for Willow more than doubled in size.

Blue eyes flash through his memory and he knows he's not alone.

He smiles through the stitch in his side and the cramp in his left foot.

Together, he thinks, together they can save the world.

More importantly, together…they can save _her_.

  
 _FIN_.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally archived [here](http://snowpuppies.dreamwidth.org/265950.html).


End file.
